Thomas JeffersonIn the thick of（在最激烈的时刻）party conflict in 1800, Thomas Jefferson wrote in a private letter, "I have sworn upon（=swear on,发誓）the altar（祭坛，圣坛）of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny（暴政）over the mind of man."This powerful advocate（提倡者）of liberty was born in 1743 in Albemarle County, Virginia,inheriting from his father, a planter and surveyor, some 5,000 acres of land, and from his mother, a Randolph, high social standing. He studied at the College of William and Mary, then read law. In 1772 he married Martha Wayles Skelton, a widow, and took her to live in his partly constructed mountaintop home, Monticello.（蒙蒂赛洛，美国地名）Freckled（有雀斑的）andsandy-haired, rather tall and awkward, Jefferson was eloquent （口才好的）as a correspondent,（通讯记者）but he was no public speaker. In the Virginia House of Burgesses and the Continental Congress, he contributed his penrather than his voice to the patriot cause. As the "silent member" of the Congress, Jefferson, at 33, drafted the Declaration of Independence. In years following he labored to make its words a reality in Virginia. Most notably（尤其），he wrote a bill（法案）establishing religious freedom,enacted（制定，颁布）in 1786. Jefferson succeeded(继承)Benjamin Franklin as minister to France in 1785. His sympathy for the French Revolution led him into conflict with Alexander Hamilton when Jefferson was Secretary of State in President Washington's Cabinet.（内阁）He resigned in 1793.Sharp political conflict developed, and two separate parties, the Federalists and theDemocratic-Republicans, began to form. Jefferson gradually assumed leadership of the Republicans, who sympathized with the revolutionary cause in France. Attacking Federalist policies, he opposed a strong centralized Government and championed（支持）the rights of states.As a reluctant（勉强的，不情愿的）candidate for President in 1796, Jefferson came within three votes of election. Through a flaw（瑕疵，缺陷）in the Constitution, he became Vice President, although an opponent（对手，反对者）ofPresident Adams. In 1800 the defect（缺陷）caused a more seriousproblem. Republican electors（选民）attempting to name both a President and a Vice President from their own party, cast a tie（不分胜负，打成平局）vote between Jefferson and Aaron Burr. The House of Representatives （美国众议院）settled the tie. Hamilton, disliking both Jefferson and Burr, nevertheless urged Jefferson's election.When Jefferson assumed the Presidency, the crisis in France had passed. He slashed（削减）Armyand Navy expenditures（开支）, cutthe budget（预算）, eliminated the tax on whiskey so unpopular in the West, yet reduced the national debt by a third. He also sent a naval squadron（中队，舰队）to fight theBarbary pirates（巴巴里海盗）, whowere harassing（反复袭击）American commerce in the Mediterranean. Further, although the Constitution made noprovision(供给品) for the acquisition of new land, Jefferson suppressed(克制，抑制) his qualms （良心之谴责，不安）over constitutionality（符合宪法）when he had the opportunity to acquire the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon in 1803.During Jefferson's second term, he was increasingly preoccupied with （沉浸在）keeping the Nation from involvement in the Napoleonic wars, though both England and France interfered with（干涉，妨碍）the neutral rights of American merchantmen（商船，商人）. Jefferson's attempted solution, an embargo upon（实行禁运）American shipping, worked badly and was unpopular.Jefferson retired to Monticello to ponder（考虑）such projects as his grand designs（宏大计划，宏伟设计）for the University of Virginia. A French nobleman observed that he had placed his house and his mind"on an elevated（高尚的）situation, from which he might contemplate the universe."He died on July 4, 1826.。
